Hide Your Fanny Packs!
Well, I'm not sure exactly what the Tourist Police do, but I'm glad I got away with snapping this picture. I clicked this (that's how they say it here in India) when I was driving around Connaught Place yesterday during lunch. I went out to do some souvenir shopping, only to find that my destination stores from the guide book had since been shut down. Instead, Santosh asked me if I would go to another emporium (he gets a Dewali tip from the owners), so I reluctantly agreed. Nowhere do you feel more like a tourist than in these emporiums, where the salesmen follow you closely around the store, giving you the hard sell on every item you touch or even glance at. The prices also seem to be relatively high., even though the crafts they sell are local.
I heard yesterday that name brand clothes are almost twice the price here. Because they sell less of the product to locals, they have to charge more to meet the necessary profit margins, so they get away with it thanks to the upper class in India who desire and can easily pay for the product.